Bridgerton Season 4, Part 2 review: Benedict and Sophie's love story takes its time to bloom

More than spectacle, glamour, and Victorian romance, Bridgerton season 4 part 2 lingers on tragedy, realisation, and a more new-age kind of romance, which questions society boundaries. At the end of the first chapter, it leaves viewers hanging with Benedict (Luke Thompson) asking Sophie (Yerin Ha), “Be my mistress.”

After a month-long wait, part 2 sparkles with its characters, chemistry, and modern-time romance. Yet, with all that charm, it also flickers with the burdens of its characters, multiple parallel storylines, a sense of goodbye and tragedy running alongside the central romance of Benedict and Sophie, a love story that repeatedly takes centre stage, but fails to move you.

With the tons of things happening, season 4 part 2 begins exactly where it left off. Sophie is in pain after hearing that Mr. Bridgerton wants her to be his mistress, her worst fear has come true. How will this love story between a lord and a maid end? Much to everyone’s surprise, this season seems to have lost some of the fire that Ms Whistledown, Penelope Bridgerton (Nicola Coughlan), had ignited time and again.

What started as a Cinderella-esque romance has gone far beyond the world of fairytales. Cinderella is going through turmoil, and the prince has his own struggles to fight. But the biggest obstacle is society itself, which refuses to accept them as a couple.

Love Story of Benedict and Sophie: How Things Take a Turn

Season 4 part 2 focuses deeply on Sophie and Benedict’s love saga, which began when he fell for the mysterious “Lady in Silver” at a masquerade ball. The whole town tries to find her, unaware that she is right there, she is Sophie. Throughout the first part, her identity remained a secret, and like the first part, much of the second part continues to keep it a secret.

Benedict sees love through fantasy and beauty, which is the reason for the privileged world he comes from. Sophie, on the other hand, understands the harsh realities and the questions society will raise. Their romance goes on-and-off, filled with longing, hesitation, tears and growing understanding.

Benedict slowly begins to understand his love and starts understanding Sophie’s dignity, who refuses to live in the shadows, no matter if she has to lose the man she loves. As the story of Sophie and Benedict continues to grow in secret, Francesca's (Hannah Dodd) life is hit with tragedy. Meanwhile, Violet Bridgerton (Ruth Gemmell) is spending more time with Lord Marcus Anderson (Daniel Francis), and they end up having the most wonderful time together.

How will Sophie and Benedict’s love story end? How will they fight against society? Will their family accept their relationship, or will things take an unexpected turn?

Bridgerton: The graph goes up, down, and then up again!

Like the previous season, except for the second season, this part of Bridgerton is also overwhelming with its many stories, several plots, characters, and romances, all set in a beautiful Victorian world. However, the romance we are all invested in is that of Sophie and Benedict, as they navigate a love that seems almost impossible. This time, it is Bridgerton’s world that makes you fall in love with a touch of the Cinderella story, and it grips you with the real world problem.

What I love is how much attention this season has given to the workers. In one scene, one of the daughters, Hyacinth Bridgerton (Florence Hunt), enters a party dressed as a maid, and people do not recognise her. This hints at how this part of society goes unnoticed and remains invisible merely because of its presence. However, this season has given them the much-needed attention they deserve.

What I missed the most, however, was the drama that Mrs Whistledown brought with her newsletter. After Penelope revealed her true identity, the excitement of her secret world was missing to a great extent.

Things felt linear, and instead of keeping viewers glued to the screen, the show demands a lot of time to fully indulge in the characters. The last four episodes are more than an hour long, and finishing them in one go is tough. At several points in between, you may lose interest and feel the need to pause. Yet, at the same time, it makes you resume and continue watching again, that is the show’s USP, I think. It revolves around the main story while giving attention to the subplots and side characters, as they build a story for next season. At times, as Lady Danbury (Adjoa Andoh) plans to leave the town and Mrs Whistledown waves goodbye to her work, it feels as if the makers are preparing to end the franchise. But that’s not the case, don’t worry, we will get season 5. The intention behind this season is good, but the presentation is old and comes in the same old way. Anthony Jonathan Bailey and Kate Bridgerton (Simone Ashley), only make an appearance. Nothing more.

With only lust that woos you, the writing feels lazy. At times, it seems like this season is simply an addition. Some plots and twists appear forced at several points. Things happen, and we watch them with the fan craze the show has built over time. The arc of the season is not clap-worthy; relationships and conflicts do get resolved without any major wow-factor. However, by the end, the entertainment factor gets lost amid the beautiful gowns and balls, which are fewer this season. This season gets lost in too many things, and loyal fans will watch it no matter what.

Dear watchers, watch this season with no expectations.

Bridgerton season 4 is streaming on Netflix.